Today, on March 20, 2024, during the meeting of the Committee of the Parliament’s Committee on Freedom of Speech, the composition of the Public Council was approved. Liza Kuzmenko, the head of the NGO “Women in Media” and a member of the Commission on Journalistic Ethics, entered it through an open competition.
“We have decided to completely revamp the work of our Committee on Freedom of Speech, including the formation of the Public Council. The Council is an advisory body that proposes, critiques, analyzes, and provides expertise on freedom of speech issues. The goal is to make the committee’s work as transparent as possible,” announced Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, the head of the Committee.
“It is important to strengthen the work of the Committee through gender optics and inclusion in its activities. This is not only social justice, but also part of Ukraine’s European integration obligations. I will focus on assisting the Committee in conducting gender expertise of media draft laws so that the interests of various groups of women and men are taken into account,” said Liza Kuzmenko, head of the NGO “Women in the Media”.
The Public Council will be involved in, among other things:
- Public expertise in draft laws in the field of freedom of speech, citizens’ right to information, protection of journalists’ rights, and media workers;
- Submitting proposals to the committee regarding the fundamental principles of national policy in ensuring freedom of speech and guarantees for the activities of mass media;
- Making proposals to improve the implementation and fulfillment of Ukraine’s international obligations in the field of freedom protection and guarantees for media activities;
- Monitoring and analyzing the activities of government bodies related to respecting the right to freedom of speech and information, and informing the committee on these matters;
- Monitoring the progress of cases related to violations of journalists’ rights and their activities, among other responsibilities.
The Public Council consists of a total of 15 members. The Public Council operates according to its Regulations, approved on February 21, 2024.
It’s worth noting that Yaroslav Yurchyshyn, a member of the “Holos” faction in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, became the head of the Committee on Freedom of Speech in December 2023.